


Pink Ribbons

by humanman



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: F/M, M/M, Post-Divorce, Sexuality Crisis, Suggestive Themes, sensitive topics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27213760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanman/pseuds/humanman
Summary: ((Indefinite Hiatus))Animaniacs has recently ended, and now the Warner brothers and sister are having to move to Wasteland. When moving in, Yakko notices a cute girl next door. Though, Yakko soon learns something about her that makes him question many things about himself.
Relationships: Yakko Warner/Original Character(s)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 63





	1. Prologue

The car ride was melancholy.

It was the end of the road - well, not literally, but it was the end for the Warners. Animaniacs had come to an end, and executives had no further use for the three siblings. Toons in a state such as this were to be moved to Wasteland. Wasteland was where all toons ended up eventually. Cartoon shows do not last forever.

Unless it's SpongeBob, the Simpsons, or Family Guy - you're good actually.

However, for the Warners, they had no luck. Perhaps they would come back for a reboot, but everyone knew that at least twenty years would have to pass before that would happen.

The Warners may have initially been locked up in the water tower, but they knew they were going to miss it. They had stayed there for so long, it was their home. They had so, so many fond memories there.

It was unfair, but such is life.

  
  


Since none of the Warners had a driver's license, Dr. Scratchansniff took the position of driving them to Wasteland. The many-hour drive was mostly silent. Yakko stared out the passenger's seat window. Now and then he'd look into the back seats, seeing his equally bored and miserable siblings. Yakko was about to be driven crazy if he didn't talk and/or lighten the mood.

So he did, "Say, Scratchy, are you gonna visit us after we're kicked outta here?"

The doctor smiled, "Vell, yes! Of course. As long as you kidses don't drive me out yourselves!"

The two younger siblings seemed relieved and chirped in.

"Yeah, Scratchy! We'll still need you around!" Wakko's voice bounced.

"It would be nice…  _ though, I don't think you can avoid being driven out, _ " Dot added in, mumbling the last part.

"Maybe you could even invite Nurse with you," Yakko gave a suggestive look and nudged his elbow into the doctor's side.

"Hehe, you kidses are too much. I couldn't keep myself away from you three."

Dot clasped her hands together in a cutesy fashion, "Aw, that was so sweet. I feel a toothache coming on."

Wakko's eyes blinked as he saw a big sign pass them by. He craned his neck to look back and read the sign.

"I think we're about there!" Wakko bounced lightly in his seat.

Dot huffed, "About time, I don't think I could take another minute of dead silence, the occasional two-sentence conversation, and another  _ 'potty emergency'. _ "

"Hey!" Wakko glared at his sister.

"I've gotta agree, sister sib… sorry, Wak," said Yakko.

Wakko gave a grumpy frown.

  
  


Wasteland was actually a lot more lively than the siblings initially thought. "Wasteland" was a very poor choice of naming the place. They could see toons of all styles and ages, all looking happy as well. The once somber mood turned bright for the Warners.

Soon they arrived at their designated house, it seemed very cozy… though, it was no water tower.

The four had begun getting luggage out of the car.

"Let me get it, Dot!" Wakko tried to wrench a suitcase out of his sister's grasp, but she had an iron grip on it.

"Wakko, this isn't even yours!" Dot retaliated.

"Alright, alright, now… if you two are going to fight then I vill take it," Dr. Scratchansniff got in between the two.

"I can carry it," Yakko proposed.

"No!" the two siblings said simultaneously.

"Sure!" the doctor took the suitcase from the two unceremoniously, to the younger siblings' dismay.

Scratchansniff struggled a bit with the luggage, "Though, it  _ is  _ a bit heavy - so - are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure!" Yakko assured (wowie that's a lot of "sures").

The doctor transferred the case into Yakko's hands. Hadn't Yakko been prepared, he would have dropped it. It was a lot more than "a bit heavy." The eldest sibling tried his best to not let his grin falter under the stress. Though, the Warner sister could see through his facade.

"You can barely hold it can you?"

"S-Shush," Yakko grunted.

_ How does someone so little carry something so heavy? _

Yakko turned to the house as the three continued to unload items from the car. His legs were quaking under the weight.

_ The hell's in this thing? Boulders? _

Once he was on the porch, he slowly leaned over and his fingers let the case slip onto the wooden surface with a deep thud. Yakko stretched out his aching arms and fingers. He glanced around.

His eyes scanned the healthy trees and bright flowers of a neighbor's yard. Yakko wasn't that much into flowers, but the ones they had were very nice to look at. It was clear that they were well kept.

Suddenly, when gazing at the plantations, a figure came into view. Yakko blinked in surprise.

It was a girl.

She was a rubberhose rabbit, perhaps the age of Yakko. She wore a white blouse, with long and flowing sleeves. Her pastel-pink skirt came near her knees, beneath it were long legs with white feet. On her hands, she wore the typical toon white gloves. Her face was round and cute. Her eyes were beady, and she had a small black nose.

What caught Yakko's attention the most was her large and floppy ears that reached down to her waist… and the shiny pink ribbons tied around the bases of them.

Yakko was stunned.

She was so pretty.

Yakko had seen beauty before, but something about this girl…

"Yakko! YAKKO! Are you even on this planet anymore?"

Yakko blinked rapidly and turned to see where the voice had come from.

Dot was next to him, holding two suitcases stacked on top of each other.

"Ugh, what were you even gawking at?"

His sister turned to look in the direction of the rabbit girl.

Yakko knew if she was able, Dot's eyes would have rolled into the back of her head.

"You two and girls, I swear! You've seen so many, yet every time you see another you act like you've never seen one in your life!"

She then shoved the two suitcases into his arms. Yakko stumbled back a bit as Dot stomped back to the car.

He stood there, unsure of what to do.

His eyes swerved back in the direction of the neighbor's house. Just as he looked, the girl had gone inside and shut the door behind her. Despite this, Yakko still looked on...

  
  


At least those suitcases weren't as ungodly heavy.


	2. The Usagi's

After all the luggage was taken into the house, Dr. Scratchansniff departed. He promised that he would come to visit in a week (most likely to make sure they hadn't blown up the whole block). The Warners had then taken just a few things out from their cases, such as their pajamas and doohickies. They'd wait to unpack everything else tomorrow, or later in the week, or sometime, or whenever, or never.

Yakko and Dot were in the living room. Yakko sat on the window sill, pattering his paddleball. Dot sat nearby, on a couch that was left by whoever lived in the house before them. It was pretty dusty, and the Warner sister had to spend almost an entire hour trying to clean it. After tidying it up, she had taken to playing with her dolls.

"Yakko, there's barely any food!"

Wakko had called out from the kitchen.

"We just about bought out the whole store, Wak!" Yakko called back.

"You better not have eaten most of everything on the way here…" Dot muttered.

"He probably did, if we knew any better," Yakko replied.

They heard the middle sibling groan, and as he repeatedly opened and closed containers over and over again… as if reopening them would reveal a new batch of food.

A few minutes passed. Dot glanced up at Yakko and caught sight of him smiling. She had a huge hunch of what he was thinking of. Or _who_ rather…

"You're thinking of that girl next door, aren't you?"

Yakko jumped and almost dropped his paddleball.

"W-Wha- I dunno what you're talking about," Yakko stammered.

"Oh, c'mon, it's so obvious," Dot taunted. "You and that dumb grin on your face."

Yakko had glanced away, his face pink. He pretended not to be listening.

"Yakko, if you like her so much, why don't you just talk to her?"

That got his attention.

"Dot, we just got here! Do you have any idea of how weird it would be if I just waltzed over there and-"

Before he realized what he was saying, it was too late. His face flushed red. He snapped his mouth shut.

"Yakko," Dot stated, she looked surprised. "Yakko Warner… are you being-"

"Don't say it-"

"You're being shy!"

Yakko groaned, he hid his red face with the paddle.

He, of all people, was scared to approach a girl.

"Then you're really not looking at her the same as other girls… you have a real crush on her!" Dot went from annoyed to giddy in a second. She never thought this day would come.

"Dot, please…"

"Yakko, you are literally the best smooth talker. You think you can't just approach her?"

"I _can't_ just approach her, Dot!"

"You can't?"

"No. I can't."

She swiftly got up, "Then I'll do it for you."

_Wait. What?_

Yakko moved the paddle from his face and saw as Dot flew to the front door.

His mind immediately filled with dread.

The paddle dropped to the floor as Yakko ran to catch his sister. Though, just as he got up, she was already out the door.

"Dot!" he yelled after her.

It was dark out and the stars twinkled across the inky sky. The porch lights of the girl's house were on. A forbidden spotlight shone on the wooden boards. Dot bound into the light and pressed the button for the doorbell. Just as she did, Yakko had slammed into her. He had been running so fast and desperately that he couldn't stop in time. They both crashed onto the floor.

"Yakko, get off me!"

They were so busy fighting that they almost didn't notice the door opening.

The two quickly straightened up.

At the door was not the girl, but a much older, rubberhose, rabbit toon. His ears were large like the girl's, but they stood up and tall… they actually made him look a bit intimidating, especially since he was already naturally tall. His eyes looked tired, most likely from strain. His body was a bit rounded, and he wore blue overalls.

Yakko could sense that this was the girl's father.

He felt as if he could faint.

"May… I help you?" the older toon questioned, looking past the strange circumstances of their arrival… and their messy and scraggly fur.

"I-I-"

Yakko started but was interrupted.

"We're your new neighbors! We wanted to come to say hi!"

Yakko clenched his teeth and refrained from strangling his little sister.

"Ah, yes, my daughter mentioned that she saw you moving stuff in today… I would have come to say hi myself but it seems that I was just too busy today. You see, I work from home," the man gestured towards the flowers in his yard. "I'm a florist of sorts."

"Oh, well I'd say you're good at what you do!" Dot said, genuinely but still obviously hamming it up (obviously to Yakko, at least).

"Well, thank you!" he seemed very flattered. He seemed to realize something and moved a bit from the doorway, "You two may come in if you'd like."

Once again, Dot interjected before Yakko could say anything.

"I'd love to, but we've got a baby brother back home that I need to get back to-"

 _'Baby brother,' good thing Wakko wasn't here to hear that,_ Yakko thought.

"-but… I think Yakko would like to stay!"

Yakko felt his heart sink.

"Oh, well, that would be fine!" the man said.

"D-Dot-" Yakko turned to get his sister, but she was already gone.

He slowly returned to face the father. Yakko knew his own fake smile was wavering terribly.

The man gave him a patient smile.

_Too deep in to back out now._

Yakko stepped inside and the door was closed behind him. A nice, sweet smell met his nostrils - it calmed him momentarily.

"Your name is Yakko, yes?"

Yakko's mouth flapped for a moment before he could speak, "I-I- yes. Um, the girl with me was my sister, Dot."

"Ah, she seemed sweet."

_If only you knew._

The man spoke as he led Yakko down the small corridor, framed photos hung on the walls.

"Well, my name is Izumi Usagi. You may call me Mr. Usagi."

"Yes, sir."

Yakko immediately understood his Japanese name; during their time locked away in the water tower, Yakko had taken to studying many languages, including Japanese. One of the meanings of "Usagi" was "rabbit," which wasn't strange at all since many toons' last names were their animal species. However, Yakko didn't get around to actually studying names. Usagi just so happened to be the word for rabbit and could be used as a name. So, he didn't know what Mr. Usagi’s first name meant.

Once the two came to the end of the corridor, they were met with a living room. Yakko only scanned the room for a moment before he stopped dead in his tracks.

The girl was sitting right there, on the couch.

Yakko swallowed dryly.

"Yuri?" Mr. Usagi got her attention.

Her ears perked slightly, and she turned her head to meet her father… and the frozen-solid Yakko.

She seemed almost as surprised as Yakko once she saw him.

Though, her father seemed completely oblivious, "Yuri, this is one of our new neighbors, Yakko…" he hung onto his name.

"W-Warner," Yakko finished.

Yakko had to keep himself from staring at Yuri. He just glanced down at the leg of the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Warner? Like the Warner Brothers?" Mr. Usagi asked, mesmerized.

"Y-Yeah, you could say that."

"Ha, we've got big names living next door," Mr. Usagi let out a hefty laugh. "Perhaps you could tell the tales of the set!"

"Heh, yeah," Yakko's heart was beating out of his chest.

Never in his life had he ever been this nervous.

"Well, I could get you something to drink. What would you like?"

"W-Water's fine," he actually felt pretty dehydrated. Although, that may have been due to how nervous he was.

"Alright."

The father then stepped away.

  
  


The room was almost completely silent, there was only the distant clinking of glass and rush of water.

  
  


Yakko heard a soft

 _thump_.

He glanced up and saw that the girl had scooted over and patted the seat next to her.

Yakko looked at the space then up at her.

Their eyes locked.

Yakko almost stopped breathing.

His legs stiffly moved.

He sat next to her.

Yakko had to squeeze his hands together to prevent himself from ripping the fabric of the couch.

  
  
  


"Yuri… that’s a nice name…"

Yakko didn't know his voice could get so quiet.

He glanced over just for a moment.

Though she did not look at him… A small, but sweet smile spread across her face.

Yakko felt a bit accomplished.

His insides were still twisted into a knot, though.

Mr. Usagi returned, carrying iced water with a red-striped straw.

"I hope this is okay," he handed Yakko the glass.

Yakko took it with both hands, "Yes, thank you."

Yuri's father seemed to fidget in place.

"You… may have noticed that my daughter is quite… silent."

Yakko raised a brow, glancing at Yuri momentarily.

"No…? Not really…" he replied, unsure.

It was an odd thing for him to bring up.

"Well, I wanted to go ahead and let you know before you thought she was being rude to you…" Mr. Usagi took a breath and bowed, "She is mute."

Yakko's ears perked.

It wasn't quite uncommon for rubberhose characters to be mute, due to the time when cartoons didn't have sound. Cartoon creators didn't think it was worth the time and energy to make a toon with a voice, especially when movies did not have sound… so many toons were created without a voice. Most new mute toons existed in current time because they inherited the trait from someone in their family.

Though, Yakko didn't think he ever met a mute toon himself.

"I-I'm sorry to hear that," Yakko said, bowing in return.

He really didn't know how to fully respond.

Though, he did feel bad for the both of them.

Mr. Usagi then stood straight again, "Do not worry, there is nothing to be sorry about. In fact, Yuri can communicate in all sorts of ways. Though, she tends to like writing her thoughts."

Yuri nodded, then pulled out a pen and pad, seemingly out of her hammerspace.

"Oh, well, that's cool!" Yakko got to smile at her again.

She seemed happy at his response.

"We were actually about to eat dinner, so if you'd like to join us you could," Mr. Usagi proposed.

"Oh, yeah, that'd be great!" Yakko thought for a moment, "Ah, but I probably shouldn't unless my sibs could join in…"

"You could have them join, no problem. I always make my dinners large, so we have leftovers to eat later in the week."

"Heh, well, if that's so, you'd better be ready for my brother… he's a dump truck when it comes to food!"

  
  
  
  


***

Yakko had returned back home to fetch his siblings. Wakko was sorely confused at why Yakko had been gone so long. Though, his questions were answered when he met Yuri. When he did, Dot had whispered to him to "not steal Yakko's girl." Wakko became super jealous, but was quickly distracted when food was brought up in conversation.

Yakko hoped badly that neither of them would try anything. The only reason he brought them over was because he knew he would feel bad if he didn't. Plus, whatever the Usagi's had was definitely more nutritious than whatever sorry snacks that were left back home (if there were any).

Though, they behaved themselves, at least as much as the Warner siblings could. Thankfully, the Usagi's weren't offended by them and took them as funny. Yakko was relieved.

Once did he hear a giggle from Yuri's side of the table. He just barely heard it over the conversation of his siblings' and Mr. Usagi's. When he glanced over at her, Yuri had looked embarrassed; she covered her mouth and hid her face with her ears. At first, Yakko thought it as cute, but then he began to think…

_If she's mute, how is she able to make noises?_

Despite this, Yakko decided not to question it. It would be better not to cause trouble and possibly ruin his chances with Yuri.

The dinner was all good. Mr. Usagi had stated he was pretty confident in his cooking, though this would be one of the few times he strayed from traditional Japanese cuisine. There was roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and cherry pie as a dessert. Yakko knew Wakko was in heaven, though the two other siblings had to hold him back from eating everything. Mr. Usagi took his gluttony as a compliment.

  
  


The meal was starting to come to a close when Wakko noticed something strange. His eyes had been wandering about the dining room... when he caught sight of a photo standing on a shelf on the wall - across from where he sat.

It was of Mr. Usagi, but there were two other people that he hadn't seen. Beside Mr. Usagi was a woman rabbit wearing a poofy, red blouse. Between the two adults was a boy rabbit. He looked as old as Dot was, and wore a purple scarf.

He raised a brow at it, quizzically. 

"Mr. Usagi?"

"Yes, young one?" Mr. Usagi was dabbing his face with his napkin.

Wakko stretched his arm out to point at the photo, "Who are those two other people in that photo?"

"Well, they would be…" Mr. Usagi's voice drifted as he soon realized what he was referring to.

His eyes widened.

Mr. Usagi swiftly stood up and dashed to take the photo from the shelf.

The Warners looked at him in alarm.

  
  


"I-I am sorry, I forgot to take that photo down."

He quickly bowed apologetically and escaped the room with the photo.

  
  
  


The room was dead quiet.

  
  
  
  


Up until there was a harsh thwack.

"Ow!" Wakko cried, he held up his leg and caressed it tenderly.

Dot had kicked him under the table.

"Nice going, blockhead," she scolded.

"But I was just asking a question!" he winced.

Yakko was a bit too stunned to say anything to them.

Yakko had seen the photo before Mr. Usagi went to take it down. Though, he didn't have the obliviousness that Wakko had to ask them who exactly was in the photo.

They were certainly family members.

Ones that were not there anymore.

In what way exactly, he didn't know.

Perhaps they were Yuri's mother and brother… but then her parents got divorced and they couldn't see the other half of the family again.

Or maybe,

her brother passed away.

Maybe they're both gone…

  
  


Yakko gazed over at Yuri.

She seemed very bothered by the event.

When she noticed him looking at her, she turned away.

Yakko frowned.

  
  


Hopefully, she would feel comfortable enough to talk to him about it soon.

He'd do anything to make her happy.


	3. Yuri

Thankfully, by the end of the night, Mr. Usagi had returned and things were back to being cheery again.

Though, Yakko would be lying if he said that the atmosphere didn't feel tainted.

When it was time for the Warners to depart, the two younger siblings were exhausted. They each said their farewell. Wakko and Dot went ahead of Yakko, both eager to get to bed.

Before Yakko crossed the doorway, his shoulder was tapped.

He turned, there stood Yuri.

Yakko's goofy grin couldn't help but show when he saw her. She returned a smile, then pulled out her pad and pen.

_Is she giving me her phone number?_

_No, stupid, of course not… she must be wanting to tell me something._

Yakko waited patiently as she wrote.

After a moment, she was done writing. Though, she hesitated before turning the pad around.

_'I enjoyed meeting you. Please come back again.'_

Yakko chuckled, "Of course, anytime!"

Yuri smiled, then she began to write again.

_'Tomorrow?'_

Yakko was surprised by how soon she wanted to meet again, but he wasn't complaining at all. He was getting all mushy just thinking about it.

"Sure, sometime in the afternoon?"

He needed to get their house at least a little situated, and to do some shopping so that there was at least _some_ food in the house.

Yuri quickly replied.

_'Yes, perfect!'_

They sort of gazed at each other.

Though, this time it didn't feel so awkward.

  
  


"Yakko! C'mon, I'm sleepy!"

They heard Wakko call out yards away.

Yakko chuckled again as Yuri covered her smile.

"Heh, well, I'd best get going. Bye Yuri," Yakko walked down the steps.

As he walked back to his house, he couldn't help but look back and smile at Yuri. She was still where he had left her.

Though, there was something off about her expression…

Like her smile had become sad.

  
  


"Yakko!"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

He finally made himself turn around.

  
  
  
  
  


***

Yakko was super motivated to get everything he planned to do done so that he could go hang out with Yuri.

He told his sibs to behave, but he couldn't leave the house without receiving obnoxious kissy faces. Yakko just rolled his eyes at them and went on the short journey to Yuri's house.

He would continue this process each day...

Getting to know Yuri.

You'd think it would get boring hanging out with someone who couldn't speak, but Yuri was so much more than a silent figure.

She was kind, grinning ear to ear at Yakko's snarky and witty jokes. She even made jokes of her own, surprising Yakko at how well she was able to land them without even needing to speak.

Another thing Yakko learned was that Yuri did help in watering her father's plants, but she was not interested in becoming a florist.

She was actually an artist but took her father's flowers as inspiration at times. She was really good at her hobby, Yakko knew that for a fact.

Yuri taught him Japanese phrases and traditions he didn't already know. She even told him the meanings of her and her father's names. Izumi meant "spring," and Yuri meant "lily flower."

"I'm sure your dad named you after a flower since he's a florist? Pretty clever," Yakko had told her.

Strangely, she had become a bit distant after he said that.

At first, Yakko thought he said something wrong and became worried.

Then Yuri replied much later:

_'You could say that.'_

What she meant by that Yakko couldn't figure out. Nevertheless, Yakko complimented her and her name… which always seemed to brighten her mood.

  
  


Everything Yuri did was so cute to Yakko. The way conducted herself, her mannerisms, the way she dressed, her expressions… it all made Yakko feel soft.

He felt like he was in a Disney movie.

Though, this time he'd say that that was a good thing.

  
  
  


Soon came the day Dr. Scratchansniff was to visit.

The day before, Yakko had mentioned the doctor's coming to Yuri. She seemed interested in meeting him since Yakko and his siblings had talked so much about him. So, Yakko said she could come if she wanted. She agreed, and on the day of, she came over about an hour prior to the doctor's arrival.

"Scratchy!"

The two younger siblings bounded for the doctor, both tackling him with hugs.

“Oof! Eh, heh, easy zere. I missed you too.”

The doctor was able to bypass the two after a moment of half-fighting to get them off him. He then approached Yakko and Yuri, the latter he hadn’t fully noticed yet.

“Hey, Scratchy,” Yakko hugged him.

The eldest Warner missed him a lot more than he thought he would. He couldn’t blame his siblings for acting the way they did. He _was_ their p-sychiatrist.

Yakko then receded and brought attention to Yuri.

“This is my- er, _our_ friend, Yuri. She’s one of our neighbors.”

“Well, hullo, Yur-”

The doctor faltered.

For whatever reason, a glimmer of uncertainty flashed in his eyes.

Yakko could see it, but he couldn’t pinpoint why it was there.

The stumble only lasted for a fraction of a second, almost unnoticeable like a casual stutter, “Yuri, ja. It is nice to meet you.”

Dr. Scratchansniff extended his hand to her, they shook hands.

Though the doctor acted normal for the rest of the visit, Yakko could still sense that something was wrong.

***

The doctor’s visit was fairly short, but it was to be expected. He was still needed on the movie lot, even after the Warners were gone.

However, the psychiatrist had to speak to the eldest Warner.

“Yakko, may I speak to you before I go?”

“What? What’s so special about Yakko?” Wakko pouted, he seemed to always get shafted when it came to attention.

“Wak, not everything’s about you, c’mon,” Dot dragged him away.

Yuri also went with them silently to respect their privacy.

Even as the three moved away, the doctor relocated himself and Yakko to a different room.

“What’s up doc?” Yakko quipped, despite being nervous about what the doctor had to say.

“I just… vanted to know if you vere avare of somezhings,” Dr. Scratchansniff started. “It’s about… your new friend.

“You two are getting very close, ja?”

It wasn’t uncommon for Scratchy to ask some pretty personal questions, it was part of his job after all… but this was one that was already perturbing Yakko.

“Um, yes?” Yakko answered, he hoped his plans weren’t as blatantly obvious to everyone else, Yuri especially. Then again, Wakko and Dot found out fairly quickly.

“Vell… oh, how do I put zhis…” the doctor paused. “She is not… vell, I can _tell_ zhat she is… not...”

“What?”

“Sorry, I am trying to tell you vithout being- I am trying to help you be vary before you are…” he stopped again.

Yakko raised a brow at him.

“You know vhat, nevermind, Yakko,” the doctor seemed defeated, yet hopeful at the same time. “I believe zhat… once you do learn, you vill know vhat I meant today. I believe that you vill make the right decision… eizer one is right.”

He added the last part in very quickly.

Yakko just gazed at him, then he laughed nervously, “You’re sure you can’t elaborate?”

The doctor shook his head gingerly.

“I do not zhink zhat I have zhe right to say, especially in a vay zhat vould be respectful to both of you,” the psychiatrist stated solemnly. “Again, make zhe choice zhat seems right to you.”

The Warner had no clue what the doctor was going on about… Though, if he knew one thing, he knew that it would make sense soon - just as he said.

But that didn’t make him feel any less unsettled.

  
  
  
  


After Dr. Scratchansniff left, Wakko and Dot went on to do their own thing. Yakko had led Yuri onto the living room sofa. He was surprised to learn that Yuri had never watched Charlie Chaplin, so he was quick to fetch out his VHS tapes and watch them with her.

To his delight, she found him comical, and could even see how Charlie had inspired Yakko in some ways. Yakko was glad she noticed.

Though, Yakko realized how perfect the moment was.

They were alone; his siblings were probably too busy to come into the room. They were both in a good mood and comfortable.

And they were sitting close.

  
  


Yakko caught a glimpse of Yuri's hand, next to him. He then looked up at her, she was focused on the tv.

This moment was so perfect.

He couldn't pass it.

Keeping his eyes on her face, he placed his hand onto hers.

She blinked

then turned to look at her hand,

then to Yakko.

Her eyes were wide, though her full expression was unreadable.

Despite this, Yakko leaned closer.

As he was close enough, he closed his eyes.

  
  


But he was pushed away.

Yakko's eyes opened to see Yuri.

She looked afraid.

_Shoot, was this too soon?_

_Does she not like me back?_

_Oh god, I messed this up..._

Yakko's mind warped as he started to panic.

Yuri twisted around for her pad and pen.

She began to write hastily.

Then, she turned the pad around.

_'I think there is something you should know about me.'_

Yakko breathed.

Was she hiding something?

If so then…

"I-I'm sure it's nothing…" Yakko tried to speak as calmly and softly as he could. "I love you. Nothing could change that, Yuri."

Her expression only became worse.

She began to write again.

_'Are you sure? It's pretty bad.'_

Yakko's heart and mind were going a million miles an hour.

He was a bit fearful that she'd reveal something horrible.

But at the same time, how could she?

The worst thing she could say was that she wasn't really mute, right?

But he already knew that…

It had to be just that.

Yakko took a deep breath and spoke.

"Sure I'm sure."

  
  


Yakko could see her hands trembling anxiously…

and as they slowly let down the pad and pen into her lap.

  
  


Silence.

  
  


All but the thumping of Yakko's heart as he waited.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Then, for the first time

Yuri spoke.

  
  
  
  


"I'm not mute."

  
  
  
  


Though, it was not her words that made Yakko's stomach sink.

  
  
  


It was that her voice was deeper than his own.


	4. Uncertainty

"Transgender? What's that mean?"

"It means a person has changed from male to female, or the other way around. It's so that they feel more comfortable with themselves," Dot tried her best not to pull her hair out while she attempted to explain the situation to Wakko.

"I don't get it."

Dot groaned, and her forehead smacked against the tabletop.

Yakko decided to continue for her, "It's not really something that you can understand, in a sense of 'why.' The best thing to do is to be supportive."

With a still bewildered expression, Wakko asked another question:

"Wait, so, if Yuri is a guy… then does that mean that Yakko's gay?"

"Wakko!"

As Dot's voice and head shot up, Wakko flinched.

"Yakko is  _ not  _ gay." Dot then turned to Yakko, her face still irritated but confident, "Yakko, tell him that you're not gay."

  
  


Though, her face began to falter as there was silence.

"Yakko?"

  
  
  


Yakko honestly wasn't sure what to think or feel after the previous night.

He had become completely silent after Yuri spoke. After what seemed like hours, really just mere minutes, Yuri had told him that she thought it was getting late and that she should go home. It was barely six.

Yakko walked her home, still not saying a word. Once there, Mr. Usagi greeted the two of them. Though, he immediately noticed their distressed expressions… Yakko's specifically.

He knew what had unfolded.

Yuri went to her room as Mr. Usagi sat down with Yakko and told him everything.

Yuri used to be a boy named Aito.

She came out to her father when she was twelve. Even though Mr. Usagi couldn't understand why his son felt this way, he was supportive. Soon, Mrs. Usagi found out what had transpired between the two. She was enraged. She was disgusted by both of their behaviors. "I have no husband, I have no daughter," she had yelled at them. It didn't take too long for the parents to have a divorce due to the tension. When it came to who could keep Yuri, Mrs. Usagi refused to take custody.

She did not want to deal with her new daughter.

After the court cases, Mrs. Usagi left and never came back.

The Usagi family used to live in Japan, but since the family had broken apart and rumors were starting to spread about Yuri - she and her father moved to America; Mr. Usagi thought it was best if they just started over. The two had already studied English and learned the culture, so they were quite ready for the move.

  
  


Despite what Yuri's mother believed, Yakko would say that trans-women were women and trans-men were men until the cows came home. He knew that Dot agreed (Wakko as well if he could understand). Though… now that Yakko was in a situation where he was interested in a trans-person, he had stopped, and he couldn't come to a solid conclusion with himself.

After he found out the truth about Yuri, he could not think about her the same way he did before… even when he still loved her so dearly.

He felt trapped.

Yakko knew he was straight, he must have been… He had kissed men before, but that was all for jokes - many toons did that for gags.

When he would think of something sexy, the first thing that would come to mind was a woman… not a man.

But since the previous night…

He was beginning to question himself.

What was he really?

  
  
  


"Yakko? Yakko!"

Yakko's head had drifted down, his head jumped up as he heard his name called.

"W-What?" he was so deep in thought that he acted as though he had come out of sleep.

Dot gave him a concerned look before her expression turned agitated. She huffed out a breath.

  
  


"I feel like I'm always talking to a brick wall with you two."

  
  
  
  


***

Yakko went over to Yuri's house like he had done each day of the previous week.

He couldn't abandon Yuri, not now especially.

He would never forgive himself if he left her.

The eldest Warner was greeted at the door by Yuri's father. Mr. Usagi seemed surprised to see him again.

"Is Yuri here?" Yakko asked him.

Mr. Usagi's response was delayed... as if he didn't fully understand what Yakko had said.

He stepped out of the way, "Yes… she is upstairs."

Yakko had assumed so.

Yuri had never brought up any other person aside from her father in conversation. It helped Yakko in learning that she had no friends… no reason to leave the house. Yakko would be afraid to go out and make some friends too if he was her… the thought of people judging him for something he couldn't control. It was scary.

  
  


This wouldn't be the first time he would enter Yuri's room. However, every time before, he and Yuri went together.

Yakko felt a bit like a creep barging in like this, but he had to let Yuri know that he still cared.

He knocked lightly on the door.

  
  


When no one responded, he thought he had knocked too softly.

Though, a voice finally came from the other side just before he was to knock again.

"Come in."

  
  
  
  


It was that same voice.

Even now, it still unsettled him.

The voice was normal, it wasn't distorted or anything like that. But…

It was a  _ boy's  _ voice.

A normal, young man's voice… just like Yakko's.

Yakko couldn't help but feel nauseous.

  
  


He opened the door, revealing the cutesy room that Yuri resided in. On the bed was her, sitting up, having her sketchbook and pencil in her hands. She had yet to look up at Yakko.

"Dad, I've already told you I'm-"

Yuri's eyes finally met him.

When she realized it was him, her slightly agitated expression became mortified. Her book and pencil dropped from her hands.

She quickly turned away, hiding her face.

  
  


Yakko knew he had to be the one to speak.

What he didn't know was where to even begin.

"Hi…" the word sounded more like a sigh.

Yuri did not respond.

Yakko saw as her shoulders tensed.

She was acting as though he was going to yell at her.

"Why did you come back?" Yuri asked, her voice barely audible.

"I told you… I'll love you, no matter what you tell me," even though Yakko was unsure about everything else, that was the one thing he certainly knew…

Even if it contradicted a lot of things about him.

  
  


"I know you pity me," Yuri turned her head just slightly towards him. "I know my father wouldn't have forced you to do this… so you don't have to do this. You really don't."

"I'm not just saying that because I feel bad about you," Yakko said, half-lying.

"Even if that is true, why waste your time on me?" Her voice raised and she finally looked up at him. Pain etched into her face, "You know you could do better than me. Why do you want to be with a circus act? A  _ freak show? _ "

"Well, if you say that… then I'd say we'd make a good pair."

  
  


Yuri's face became blank.

  
  
  


At first, Yakko thought that she was about to cry…

She did, but she was also laughing.

Bittersweet tears fell from her face as she laughed into her gloved hands.

"That joke was so dumb… you're so dumb…" she smiled, wiping her face.

Yakko chuckled softly.

She seemed to be feeling a little better.

After she had brushed away most of the wetness from her eyes, she patted the space on the bed next to her. Yakko went over and sat down.

It was then when Yakko somehow finally noticed that Yuri was taller than him.

  
  


Clearly, she got the height from her parents, but it was also probably due to her animal species… lagomorphs tended to be long and lanky creatures. With the Warners' species being… whatever it was… height wasn't really in their package.

Though, Yakko must have not noticed until just then because the height difference wasn't that large. Yuri was maybe a few inches taller. Despite that, he'd be lying if he said it wasn't a wee bit alarming.

  
  


"I am surprised that you came back, though," Yuri stated. "I'm not used to people… coming back."

"Well, you'd better get used to it," Yakko replied playfully.

She laughed again, then sighed, "I was just… so scared."

"You? I thought you were gonna say that you murdered somebody."

"I don't see much of a difference."

"Well, I do."

Yuri turned, her face serious and her eyes locking with his.

"Yakko, be honest," she gestured towards herself, "does this look feminine to you?"

The stark contrast between Yuri's voice and appearance would alarm anybody. Yuri looked exactly like a girl, acted just like one too. If she had kept quiet, no one would have ever suspected a thing.

Except for Dr. Scratchansniff.

It made sense that he knew… some of his patients must have been transgender.

  
  


"Yeah, of course," Yakko responded.

"But it's the clothing that's doing the job, isn't it?"

Yakko's eyes traced her features. She looked feminine. Though, her clothing was probably serving her well, distracting him from what was really there. Heck, Bugs Bunny looked hot in women's clothing and looked feminine while doing it.

Yakko wasn't sure how he would feel if Yuri had all of that taken away. The thought made butterflies in his chest… though, at the same time, it made him a bit anxious… scared even.

What would he see then if that was so?

Yakko felt conflicted about what to say.

"I… don't know."

  
  


Yuri glanced away, she looked disappointed… more in herself rather than Yakko.

"But," Yakko interceded, "I'm sure you look fine either way."

It felt more like he was saying that for himself rather than her.

Yakko sorely hoped that his mind wasn't being fogged by her appearance. Her appearance was artificial, a mask; her clothing was her makeup. He knew that. But Yakko  _ knew  _ he loved her for her, it couldn't have been her looks alone. If he was striving for looks, he could have gone to any other girl… but Yuri was one of a kind, it didn't take long for him to learn that. She was real. A real person, not just an object for his eyes to boggle at.

  
  


Yuri gave a half-smile.

She crossed her legs, "I would go through with surgery… you know, to look more feminine…  _ sound  _ more feminine.

She seemed to know what startled Yakko the most.

"But… it's all  _ really  _ scary. If I got surgery for my voice, I wouldn't be able to talk for a year,  _ at least.  _ I know I didn't start talking to you until yesterday, but I do like talking to my father. He's the  _ only  _ person I ever get to talk to. Losing my voice for so long… I don't know. I'm scared to death that I may never be able to speak again if I go through with it. Even if I wasn't afraid and it was risk-free… we don't have that kind of money. It would take  _ years  _ for us to save money for surgeries."

"Then… you don't have to go through with those surgeries…" Yakko assured. He held her hand. "If they really scare you that much, then don't feel pressured to go through them. I'll feel the same for you either way."

  
  


Yuri became quiet.

Very.

  
  
  


Then her voice returned, but it was humorless… grave.

  
  
  


"Yakko, you wouldn't be saying that if you  _ really  _ knew how I looked."

  
  


Yakko's heart fell.

They decided to leave the topic at that.


	5. Societal Norm

Yakko spent hours talking with Yuri, even with the dark cloud that remained after their first conversation.

At some point during one of their exchanges, Yakko had found the urge to kiss her again.

It was weird, one part of him wanted to so bad… but the other forbade it.

He found himself trembling and had to lock up his body from doing it further… before Yuri could notice.

Despite that… he knew she could sense how tense he was.

  
  
  


When the night was rich, Yakko decided that it was time for him to leave.

Again, Yakko saw that hesitant look in her eyes… like this was the last time she was going to see him.

He promised he would return the next day.

And when she still remained doubtful, he crossed his heart.

That at least made her smile a bit.

  
  


When Yakko returned home, he was surprised to see his siblings already in bed. Usually, he had to chase them around the house before they settled down… even when they were exhausted.

However, when he was about to turn in himself, he learned that not both of them were asleep.

“How’d it go?”

Even with Wakko speaking so quietly, Yakko nearly jumped out of his skin.

After he came to his senses, he replied, “Fine.”

“Is he okay?”

Yakko faltered for a moment.

Then a minute.

Then for what seemed like forever.

  
  


“Yakko?”

  
  


“Yuri is fine, Wakko,” he was able to respond without his voice wavering.

  
  


Yakko climbed up into his bunk, hiding his face underneath his pillow.

He suffocated his sobs.

He didn’t know who he was.

  
  
  
  


***

When Yakko invited Yuri out to eat, she was very against it.

Well, a better way to describe it would be that she was deathly afraid of the idea.

Yakko promised to stay by her, to which she slightly calmed and opened up to the idea.

“If we go, I  _ can’t  _ talk.”

“I know, I understand,” Yakko told her. “I’ll do all the talking for you. They call me Yakko for a reason.”

She had playfully shoved him.

Though, she had just about knocked him over.

  
  


When traveling the sidewalks to get to a bus stop, Yuri had to hold tightly onto Yakko’s hand. It was rush-hour and people were bustling about, so many eyes that could land on her.

“It’s going to be okay, we’re almost there,” Yakko whispered to her.

She had such a solid grip on him, it felt like she was squeezing the ink out of his hand.

Once they finally got to the bus stop, her hold eased… much to Yakko’s relief. The bus soon arrived. There were quite a few people in it, but not so much that it was crowded.

They found a seat sort of isolated from everyone else. Yakko allowed Yuri to sit near a window. She calmed down just a bit more; Yakko knew she would have liked to view the scenery when riding around.

“Everything’s a-okay,” Yakko said softly, leaning against her.

Yuri gave him a worried glimpse before looking back through the window.

She never did let go of him.

  
  


Yakko had taken her to a pretend-fancy place called  _ Lafitte.  _ It was obviously the poor family’s fancy restaurant, but both Yakko and Yuri knew they wouldn’t be able to pay at an actually fancy restaurant. They’d have to pay an arm, leg, and Danny DeVito’s net worth to do that.

Yakko was able to get them a table, even when the place was so busy. He was hoping they would get a booth so that they could have some privacy, but their table turned out to be smackdab in the middle of the restaurant. At least it was a smaller table, specifically designed for two people.

As expected though, Yuri was not fond of their location. She kept glancing around, making sure people were not looking at them. She wrung her hands.

Yakko gently took her wrist, lowering it beneath the table. His hand slid down to hold hers.

Even then she looked as stiff as a board, her free arm pressed against her side. Her eyes were in a constant state of fright, wide and wavering.

_ Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. _

  
  


Just then, a waitress came over. A peacock toon.

"Hello, welcome to  _ Lafitte _ ," she greeted. "What will you be having today?"

Without letting go of Yuri's hand, Yakko grabbed and looked at the menu.

Despite the name of the restaurant being French, there were barely any French items on the menu.

Actually, there were a lot of different foods from different countries: Thai, Italian, Korean, Mexican… it just went on and on.

Oh, this is one of  _ those  _ restaurants.

Yakko just threw a dart with his eyes and hoped for the best.

"How's about some spaghetti?"

Surely they couldn't mess that up.

"Sure! Drink?"

"Cola is fine."

She then turned to Yuri, who now seemed to be more like a husk than a frightened girl.

"You…?" The waitress was a bit unnerved by her demeanor.

Yuri pried her arm from her side and went into her hammerspace.

…

Yakko saw as her face began to fill with dread again.

At first, he was confused, but he soon realized.

She had forgotten her pad and pencil.

Yuri looked at him with pleading eyes.

However, before Yakko could say anything. He heard mumbling.

  
  


"What was that?" The waitress asked, leaning a bit over towards Yuri.

  
  
  


_ "I need… I need to..." _

Yakko could hear her. Her voice was so small. She was clearly afraid of the waitress hearing her voice.

But then why was she talking?

Yakko could feel her hand trembling terribly.

Yuri suddenly stood up from her chair, wrenching her hand from Yakko's.

They watched as she began to walk, then run away.

Yakko quickly stood up.

"S-Sorry maybe we'll finish our order later," he told the stunned and confused waitress.

Though, as he went to search for Yuri…

He doubted they would.

  
  
  
  


***

Yuri slammed the door behind her as she entered the bathroom.

She was hyperventilating, tears streamed down her face.

_ Why had I forgotten something like that? How could I be so stupid? _

She paced the floor.

Over and over.

But she couldn't seem to calm down.

It felt like the world was crumbling around her.

Her breakdown came to a halt when she ran into someone.

She had been pacing fast, so she fell to the ground harshly.

Her face was hidden in her hands.

“I-I-I’m s-so sorry, I s-should have been looking where I was going-” she stammered.

Yuri unveiled her face to look up at her victim, who managed not to fall.

Then she saw that it was a woman.

She saw as her face went from one of surprise…

  
  


to one of disgust and anger.

  
  
  
  


***

Yakko heard a shrill scream come from across the building.

The restaurant’s ambient noise was stirred, a disturbing recession of sound as people were perturbed by the outcry.

Yakko had a dark feeling that it was due to Yuri.

Yakko ran in the scream’s direction, the shrieks continued after the first.

He came to see a crowd brewing as he came near the restrooms. Just as he arrived, two forms barreled out from the women’s door. The latter form was certainly an angry-as-hell woman. His eyes widened as he saw the first form. It was Yuri.

Yuri tripped on her feet and fell to the ground. Just as she did, the woman had begun to pummel her with her purse.

Yakko's chest burned.

"Hey- HEY! Stop!"

He pushed and shoved through the now thick crowd.

Yakko came between the two, but the woman didn't cease her rampage. Instead, she kept swinging, now hitting Yakko too in the process. Yakko hugged Yuri close as he shielded her.

The security finally came.

"Hey! What's all this about?"

Surprisingly enough, the woman actually stopped swinging around her purse.

"This  _ man  _ was in the women's restroom! A pervert! If it was my daughter instead of me in there I would have killed him!" She cried.

"Okay, relax, ma'am. Who was it?"

Yakko stood, still holding Yuri close. She was shaking and sobbing, burying her face into Yakko's chest.

  
  


"The one in the dress!" The woman pointed at Yuri, "He thought he had everyone fooled! His voice is obviously of a man's!"

"She is  _ not  _ a man!" Yakko gritted his teeth at her.

"Okay, okay! There is no need to be hostile." The guard directed towards both of them. He then turned his focus onto Yuri.

"Si- I mean-"

When he saw her, his lips fought between saying "sir" or "ma'am."

He seemed to give up on that, "Due to the standards of this restaurant, and the possibility that you are a hazard and/or threat to the customers here, we must ask you to leave the premises."

"But she isn't a threat!" Yakko pleaded, "She is a girl!"

"You know he isn't! Stop enabling him!" The woman interjected.

Yakko resisted the urge to beat her into the ground.

"Do  _ not _ cause any further hostility ma'am, that is a  _ warning _ ," the guard advised her.

He returned to Yakko, "Unless you can provide evidence that your claims are true, you must leave the restaurant now."

Yakko wanted to fight back, he wanted to stand up for Yuri and every person like her. Yuri deserved more respect than this. She deserved to be one with everyone else. This was his chance to speak up for her.

His lips parted…

  
  


But he found himself unable to say anything.

  
  


He looked around him.

People had shocked,  _ fearful  _ expressions.

Yet none looked just at Yuri.

They gazed in horror at  _ both _ of them.

Even if Yakko tried to help themselves out of this situation… it would be in vain.

He was sure it would even make matters worse.

He was at a loss.

  
  
  


"Yakko, let's just go…" he heard Yuri speak, choking on her words.

Yakko gazed at the cowering figure against him...

The broken, frightened, cowering person against him.

  
  
  
  


"Okay."


	6. Aftermath of a Mishap

The door shuttered behind them.

Instead of exiting through the main entrance, Yakko decided it was best to leave through the side, into the alleyway… as to not draw more attention to themselves.

  
  
  


Yuri immediately pushed Yakko away, staggering a few feet away from him.

She whimpered, almost clawing at her head.

Her body then dropped to the ground, her back hitting the bricks of the building wall. She hugged her legs, hiding her face in them as she let out muffled chokes and sobs.

  
  


For a moment, Yakko just gazed at her.

The air was cold, unforgivingly so.

  
  


Yakko approached Yuri, then sat down beside her on the even icier ground.

  
  
  


Guilt riddled his being.

  
  


“Yuri, I’m… I’m so, so sorry. I thought… I thought that maybe if we did this, we would seem like a normal couple."

Yuri's face lifted.

Her expression was hurt.

She had been betrayed.

  
  


_ "Normal?" _ Yuri mimicked, her lips quivered.

"I know, it was wrong for me to think that. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made you go through that," Yakko's voice wavered as he continued to speak. "I'm sorry… this is all my fault."

  
  


Yuri shook her head, letting out a shaky breath.

"No, it's  _ my  _ fault."

Yakko lightly grasped her arm, "Yuri, this  _ isn't  _ your fault. It's m-"

Yuri jerked her arm away, " _ How _ could this have possibly  _ not _ been my fault?"

She pressed her hands against her head, "I don't  _ belong _ here, Yakko. I don't…"

Again, her face was buried into her knees.

  
  
  
  


_ “I don’t belong here... I don’t belong here… I don’t…” _

  
  
  


Yakko clung onto her balled up form. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

"You  _ do _ belong, Yuri… they just don't know it yet."

Yuri didn't have the strength to push him away again.

She spoke through clenched teeth, "How could you tell me that when you just went through that  _ hell _ . When will it get through your head that I will  _ never _ be normal _? When will you realize that the world doesn't want people like me? _ "

Her eyes widened as her face was pulled up to meet his.

"Who  _ cares  _ if the world doesn't want you? The world can go shove it.  _ I  _ want you."

  
  
  
  
  


Yuri gave him a conflicted gaze.

  
  
  


"You do?"

  
  


Yakko chuckled, still teary-eyed, "Of course I do…"

  
  
  
  
  


Yuri sought something in Yakko's eyes.

It didn't take long for her to find it.

Acceptance.

  
  
  
  


The arms wrapped around her body pulled her closer to him. Yakko leaned close.

His eyes fluttered shut as he kissed her.

  
  


Yuri's eyes had not yet closed, they were wide open. The act had stunned her.

It took her a moment for her to relax, to close her eyes, and to give in to the kiss.

  
  


Yuri's lips were soft and silky.

  
  
  
  


Soon, Yakko felt a burning sensation start to build in his core. As he did, he realized he had to stop.

He pulled away, opening his eyes to see the pretty girl in front of him.

She looked the same as she did the first day Yakko saw her.

  
  


Yuri giggled, "This is kind of gross."

Yakko frowned, about to retaliate, "What do you mean?"

"We're kissing beside a dumpster."

At first confused, Yakko glanced behind her.

They were indeed beside a dumpster.

Yakko began to chuckle along with Yuri.

  
  


They were a mess.

  
  
  
  


***

To get back home, Yakko used the money he would have used at  _ Lafitte  _ for a taxi instead.

They didn't plan on trying to eat again anytime soon… they had lost their appetite.

The taxi ride was quiet, which surprised Yakko. Usually, taxi drivers wouldn't shut up. He favored this one.

Once they were but a block from their houses, the drive came to an end. Yakko paid the driver and they exited the vehicle. As the taxi drove away, the duo had begun treading the rest of the way home.

  
  


Yakko couldn't get the events that had transpired out of his head. That awful woman… Yuri's distress… and finally, even after all of that...

He glanced over at Yuri, she seemed to have her mind on something else. She gazed head-on.

The two had been holding hands since they had gotten into the taxi. Though, this time it didn't seem to be out of a need to suppress fear or uncertainty. Yakko was glad for that change.

  
  


Even still, though, he wondered what was going on in her head.

  
  


Yakko really hoped he hadn't hurt her more than momentarily by making her go through those events. To call it an emotional roller coaster would be an understatement. It was really stupid of him to try and pull a stunt like that, especially when knowing of Yuri's inexperience and discomfort of outings beforehand. He really hoped she could forgive him.

With her current demeanor, it seemed that she had… but Yakko didn't want to get ahead of himself or put words into her mouth.

He would have begged the question, but he felt that the both of them were just too emotionally exhausted to try.

  
  
  
  


In just a few minutes, they had arrived at their neighboring houses. Yakko had let go of Yuri's hand and was about to depart. He assumed Yuri would have wanted a mental break and a little alone time after everything that happened that night.

Though, he was exceptionally surprised when he was stopped.

"Y-Yakko!"

He swiftly turned back to meet Yuri's gaze.

Yakko was surprised to hear her speak like this, out in the open and so loudly no less.

  
  


Yuri looked embarrassed and lowered her volume before speaking again, "M-My father is not home right now."

"Oh?"

"Y-Yeah, I forgot, he left on a business trip while we were gone…"

_ Business trip? For a florist? For what? _

The rabbit must have seen the confusion on his face, so she explained, "He heard from another florist friend that the seeds of a rarer plantation were being sold across the state. Being able to sell such flowers would undoubtedly boost sales, so he thought this would be a one-time chance." She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "So… he may not be back until later this week."

Yakko thought Yuri must have been insinuating that she didn't want to be alone for so long. It  _ was  _ just her father and her living together after all. He guessed his theory of Yuri wanting to be alone was a bust. Of course, she didn't want to be alone, her thoughts were her worst enemy… Yakko knew he should have known that.

  
  


The eldest Warner smiled warmly, "Well, you know you can stay over until he comes back! I'm sure my sibs would be ecstatic to have you sleepover. Maybe we could arrange so that you… could…"

  
  


His voice began to drift as he noticed how anxious Yuri's expression had become. He gave a concerned expression.

Yuri didn't look at him, "I… um… was wondering if  _ you _ would like to… stay over at my house instead?"

She then looked back up at him, her face showing hesitance to his response.

  
  
  


Yakko gazed at her, still unsure of this.

He'd love to stay over, but why was she being so…

  
  
  
  


When he realized what she meant, his face flushed red.

  
  
  


It took him a moment to recollect his thoughts.

"Oh, um…" he crossed his arms, "y-yeah, that's no problem!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I just…" he whipped out his phone from his hammerspace and started dialing, "I need to let my sibs know I won't be home for a while."

His hands were shaking as he waited with the tone.

Just a second later, Dot answered.

"Yakko? Well, that was quick, how was your date?"

_ Of course, she immediately asks about the date. _

Ever since Dot found out Yakko had a thing for Yuri, she'd ask how their "dates" were. Well, this time she'd be right, it  _ was  _ a date… but it was still none of her business.

"It was… we had a change of plans," Yakko didn't want to relive the restaurant scene, so he skipped to the point. "I'm gonna be staying over at Yuri's for a while, her dad's out of town… so…"

Yakko could hear the gears in her head turning.

Luckily, she didn't go all crazy, "Okay, Wakko and I will guard the house with our lives. We'll flatten anyone who comes in…! Including you, if you don't give a heads up so watch out.

Yakko couldn't decide whether or not to chuckle or wince at that.

"By the way, Yakko, you can just peep in if you wanna ask something.  _ It's not that hard. _ "

Raising a brow, he turned towards their house and saw as Dot peeled the blinds open and peered at him with a furrowed brow and squinted eyes.

Yakko chuckled nervously as he gave a pathetic wave. He had totally forgotten that he was right outside their house.

Dot raised the phone back to her face and began to speak again.

"Goodnight, Yakko, I love you," Yakko saw as her expression softened.

"I love you, too." He then noticed something, "Is Wak there with you?"

"No, he had a sugar crash and now he's on the floor snoring like a cow in heat."

"Oh, so could you let him know the news when… whenever he wakes up?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, thanks. Bye, sister sib."

"Bye, Yakko."

Just as they hung up, Dot closed the blinds again.

Yakko put away his phone and directed his attention back to Yuri, who had been waiting patiently - albeit, nervously.

He gave her a half-smile.

"Seems I may be able to stay over."

"Well, that's good," Yuri replied softly.

The two then approached the home. Yakko watched as Yuri knelt in front of the door.

"Whatcha… doing?" Yakko forbade himself from looking anywhere in particular.

"I don't keep any keys on me, I tend to misplace things a lot… you may have noticed… even in my hammerspace." Yuri carefully lifted a potted plant near the doormat, revealing a key, "So if I ever need to get into the house when he's not home, I can just get the key from here."

"Oh, neat," Yakko said genuinely.

He nor neither of his siblings had to do this sort of thing, of course, due to the fact that they had always lived in the water tower, which didn't exactly require a key to open. Even then, at least two of them stayed home, or all three were out causing chaos. They almost always did stuff together. Yakko was still abiding by that ritual, leaving alone to be with Yuri. Then if it wasn't that, he was going somewhere where people would be. If it ever came to be somewhere other than any of those, Yakko didn't want to be there.

Yakko hated being alone.

  
  
  


Yuri unlocked the door and immediately put the key back where she had found it. Yakko followed behind as they entered the house, and waited by her as she locked the door back.

They then traversed the way to Yuri's room.

Yakko walked close behind her, trying to keep his body from trembling.

He didn't know why he was shaking.

  
  


Maybe he was overreacting.

Maybe he misunderstood what Yuri had meant by this.

Yeah...

That must be it.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


But...

even if he hadn't misunderstood…

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Why was he so terrified?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter took a bit. I may be able to get another chapter or two out before the end of Thanksgiving break. Thank you to all of those who have supported the story, you've made me really happy. Happy Holidays!


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